I add as I wrap the end of my black hair around my finger and listen to Medley fill in all the blanks for me with what she knows.
My shoulder blades are pressed against the cold stone of the wall behind me, and my thigh is up against the bars at my right. Medley’s sitting the same way, and the small contact we have between the bars is warming in a way I haven’t felt since I woke up down here. I’ve gotten so used to being in nothing but my underwear by now that it doesn’t even faze me. I’ve also gotten used to only being able to wash myself with slow trickles of water from my sad excuse for a sink, which basically does nothing but smear the grime around.
“I don’t know, actually,” she tells me, her head tilting to the side in thought. I study the movement raptly and smile a little because I do the same thing when I’m thinking.
It’s weird how not weird it is to think of her as my sister. Maybe it’s the fact that I used to be able to feel her when I was younger, and despite being told otherwise, my subconscience never let go of that. Or maybe in the small time I’ve spent getting to know her, it’s impossible not to feel connected. Despite our different coloring and her thick Southern accent, we look alike, and sometimes, I’ll catch her making some expression that mirrors things I do too.
I was glad to hear about her parents she grew up with, and a little surprised that the love and acceptance didn’t make me sad or jealous. Instead, I was relieved that she had that growing up. That her and Delta both had loving and happy childhoods. I wish I’d had that too, but it’s comforting to know that they did.
“Apparently, we’re part Heaven and part Hell, so I don’t know if we’re even official demons or if we’re more halfies,” Medley continues. “I haven’t really had a chance to talk to Nefta much about what we are, or really about anythin’,” she adds.
I look over to Toreon, who’s clearly listening to our conversation even though he’s pretending that he’s not. “Mates. Is it a demon thing or an Annuli thing?” I ask him, figuring he’d know.
He hasn’t explained what he is, but he knew about us and supposedly, Annuli are really rare. I’m guessing, based on the whole protector thing and portal thing, that he just might be pretty damn rare too. It would make sense, seeing as how he’s in this dungeon with us.
He rolls his eyes. “Only humans are rudimentary enough to think one mate is always sufficient. While there are demons and hosts of Heaven who take only one mate, it’s not common,” he explains, like some judgmental professor teaching a class that he thinks is beneath him.
I snicker a little because he didn’t miss a beat in answering the question, further proving that he’s hanging on our every word. He can act bored all he wants, but I’m not buying it.
“So how many mates do you have?” I ask him, my throat tightening as the thoughtless question leaves my lips. It’s too late to pull the words back in though, and I suddenly feel awkward about bringing a subject up that might be painful and is really none of my business.
Toreon is silent for a beat, and just when I let out a breath, certain he’s going to ignore the question, he surprises me. “I don’t have any mates. There wasn’t anyone for me before, and now...” He gestures to the cage around him, his current circumstance all the explanation he needs.
“How do you know how many you’ll have?” I ask Medley, diving back into the diverting conversation that steals me away from this horrible place we’re holed up in. It’s been nice to just disappear in the picture her words have painted for the past couple of hours. Plus, I like to hear her talk.
Medley chuckles. “Well, the way it worked for me and Delta was we sorta got whoever came with the gate.” She shrugs, a wide smile on her face.
“Like a you break it, you buy it kind of thing?” I clarify with a giggle.
She smiles. “Pretty much. Only with us, it seems more of a you fix it, you keep the hotties that come with it sorta deal.”
“Could be worse,” I observe, still amused by the whole concept.